Press Release of the Week: Patriot Water to the Rescue

Hey--wouldn't it be great if there were a way to hydrate and support our troops? A Minnesota entrepreneur has the answer.

Remember the 1970s-era peacenik bumper sticker that lamented, "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber"? Thirty years on, the US has not done so well on the first count, but it's progressing by leaps and bounds on the second. Since the invasion of Iraq, it's become commonplace for families and church/community groups to stage fundraisers and pass the collection plate to buy combat necessities such as body armor for soldiers serving there.

Naturally there's a place at the table for commerce as well. Now comes Patriot Water, the brainchild of Sandstone, Minnesota, entrepreneur Mark Shaffett. As the press release puts it, "More and more people are making it a habit to stay well-hydrated as well as finding an alternative option to support a greater cause." Yes, how true. The hook: Shaffett will donate "a portion of the proceeds" from his bottled water sales to a group called Operation Interdependence that sends packages to soldiers. An e-mail to Shaffett asking what portion of the proceeds was not answered by press time.